The Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) announced today that they have been invited by the World Packaging Organisation (WPO) to be the host of the 2013 WorldStar Packaging Awards.

According to Mr Ralph Moyle MAIP, National President of the AIP, this is a significant and one-off opportunity for the Australasian packaging industry to be a part of an international event.

"The AIP are pleased to announce that the 2013 WorldStar Packaging Awards will be held on Thursday the 9th of May at the Novotel Sydney Olympic Park, alongside Auspack Plus 2013", Mr Moyle said.

The WorldStar Packaging Awards are run by the WPO and are now in its 45th year. It is one of the major events of the WPO and last year attracted 243 entries from 32 countries around the world. The WorldStar Packaging Awards illustrate the continual advancement of the state of packaging and creates a living standard of international packaging excellence from which others may learn.

The AIP have been working closely with the owners of Auspack Plus, the APPMA, to develop an extensive event schedule to allow exhibitors and visitors the opportunity to be a part of an international packaging week.

The AIP will also be running their biennial National Technical Forum in the day on the 9th of May, with the theme 'Global Packaging Trends'. The AIP National Technical Forum, which is open to non-members as well, will have a range of international speakers from the World Packaging Organisation (WPO) coming to present from Brazil, Austria, India, South Africa and the United States.

According to Mr Moyle it will be many years before the WorldStar Packaging Awards return to Australia and with the AIP celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2013 it is apt that the event will be hosted in Australia.

"There will be an international contingent of WPO Board members and award winners from across the globe coming to Australia for this event and we would like to extend an invitation to the entire packaging community to be a part of this significant night", Mr Moyle said.

"The AIP joined the WPO in 2010 in a process towards developing relationships within the world packaging community and broadening our knowledge of packaging developments in other countries. This relationship has been very positive in expanding our perspective of packaging knowledge in different parts of the world, while sharing our skills in countries in our region in need of assistance."

To book seats, or a corporate table to the 2013 WorldStar Packaging Awards and the AIP National Technical Forum, those interested can simply log on to www.aipack.com.au and visit the events section or email [email protected]